


Unstuck

by Ziffy



Category: Warframe
Genre: Deadlock Protocol, don't mess with time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:20:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25375315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ziffy/pseuds/Ziffy
Summary: Go play the Deadlock Protocol quest before reading this.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	Unstuck

**Author's Note:**

> Go play the Deadlock Protocol quest before reading this.

Being unstuck in time really messes with your head. You see all the futures that happened, the pasts that failed to be, and the many nows that aren't. Sometimes you have to live a hundred times just to get one single step right.

The worst part, though, is the memories. I have seen my companions die so often that I can barely remember they're talking to me, and smiling like nothing happened. 

I try not to get attached any more.

~~~

_ The Sentients broke through the left flank, they need support! _

I nodded and took off. As soon as I approached, I knew I was in trouble. Only three warframes were still standing; a Rhino missing an arm, a Chroma with a good chunk taken out of his side, and… ok, two were standing. A Nova hauled herself backwards with one arm, desperately firing at an oncoming battalyst with the other. She was dragging the stump of her thigh, the other leg completely gone.

I ran to her first.  _ Are you ok? _

_ I'm fucking… peachy. Just leave me, I'm… worthless now. _

_ How long ago did this happen? _

_ A minute or- _

A laser punched through her head. I heard the Chroma fall as well, and then a searing pain shot through-

_ The Sentients broke through the left flank, they need support! _

Take two. I ran as fast as I could, but I was still too late for the nova. Rhino still had both arms, so I was getting closer.

_ You guys need to run, I'll give cover fire! _

Nova turned to look at me, but the lance of light came for her earlier this time. I exerted myself to reveal my canon, and started blasting the monsters while the other two scrambled to a safe distance. I turned to run myself, when I suddenly lost feeling in every-

_ The Sentients broke through the- _

I didn't have time for this. I refuse to let them die if there’s any chance they could live. I dashed towards them, and saw that Nova was still whole. I threw a shielding unit just in time to deflect the severing blow, but it glanced off and pierced Chroma instead. The sentient looked up at me and raised its gun-

_ The Sentients- _

This is hell. I had to make a choice, only two of them were going to survive. The Orokin training kicked in, and I knew who to sacrifice. I hadn't yet made it to before Rhino lost his arm, after all.

I dragged Chroma and Nova back with me, singed but alive. Nova was crying. She had seen Rhino take the hits as we ran, his iron skin shedding faster than he could make it. But even as his body burned away, he stood in order to let us survive. 

After twenty cycles, I was exhausted. But the orders came down:

_ We need you to cover our retreat, the right flank has fallen. _

No… please… not so soon…

~~~

I am only one of two made of my model. The reason: the other snapped, killing 300 dax and warframes in her madness. We all knew why the body count was so high. That’s why everyone still shuffles awkwardly around me, like a bomb that could go off at any moment. I had to kill her.

When two people who are unstuck in time are fighting, it's actually pretty boring for onlookers. We stared at each other for two weeks straight, neither of us moving, running through every possible scenario. The layers of future wrapped around our heads like rubber bands, each one light, but when too many were gone through, we were both crippled with the pain. 

Finally, she broke. And by broke, I mean she simply- wasn't. I was surprised that the others remembered her at all, but I'll never get the image of her death out of my mind. She shimmered and flailed her infinite limbs in every direction, releasing a scream that rent time itself before exploding into a fine mist that dissipated back to the end of the universe itself. 

The sudden whiplash of possibility broke every bone in my body, but I was alive.

If I lose myself like she did, who will be there to kill me?

~~~

"Here is your new master." The speaker pointed to a noble that had earned some favor, but not the trust, of the Orokin. 

I nodded, and was surprised when he didn't flinch away from me. Did he not know what I was?

"I am grateful, ageless one." He bowed deeply.

"Now Protea, take good care of him."

_ Yes. _

~~~

How many assassination attempts had I foiled on him? I can't remember. I failed to stop many of them, but I always made it at some point. He never even knew how many times he died. He just treated me like a friend. I… had forgotten what that was like.

He looked up from his meal. "You know, it's a shame you can't eat, because my cooks always make the best food." He didn't know, of course, that the current cook had tried to poison him earlier this week, and gotten off with a stern reprimand from me.

_ It's ok, I'm plenty happy with conversation.  _

"You've been so kind to me. Ever since the Orokin were destroyed, I thought for sure you were going to kill me."

_ They are not my masters, _ I spat with a vehemence that surprised even me. 

"They never respected you, did they?" he said as he met my gaze, unflinching. 

I shook my head.

"I have met few as worthy of respect as you. Maybe it's the specter particles getting to me, but I seem to feel things that aren't there. A bullet to the head, a sharp pain in my stomach. You've been protecting me, haven't you?"

I looked at him in shock.  _ Nobody remembers the futures but me… _

He laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I don't 'remember' them, let's just say I can feel where things don't quite line up." 

We sat in an awkward silence for a moment. "Thank you, Protea. I am forever in your debt, I suppose, or should I say several forevers!" He laughed again.

I hope you don’t think poorly of me for living that moment as many times as I did; it's very rare something good happens to me. 

~~~

I watch as my body stands up and engages an odd warframe with a funny hat. We exchange blows, but it's clear he's not used to combat. It only took one reset to expel him from my sanctum. 

_ Please, he made it here, he could have saved us, _ I said. 

_ He was a danger to my master, he had to go, _ I said. 

~~~

"Prepare the jump to Pluto. I hear some of the executives have been skimming a little too much off the top. I expect them to take a little, but they've crossed a line this time."

The pilots nodded. A vague tingling sensation began at the edges of my existence, but that was nothing new with a void jump. It wasn't until I saw him disintegrating that I knew something was wrong. I pushed out with everything I had, and

ĝ̴͔͖͔͇̥̩̇͝͝ơ̴̬͍͙͕̦̭̂̾̾̈̿̐̈́n̷̡̛̤͖̤̹̘͉̥͒̔͊̎̏͛̋̎ȇ̴̳͇͙̠̩̆̈́͊͒̎̉̿̔͌̀͠

~~~

I saw myself dash towards the unarmed and very confused person. I stabbed out at them with a ripple of power, and their scream was cut short by their scream was cut short by their scream was-

_ They were innocent,  _ I said as they looped their death throes over and over.

_ They were a threat,  _ I said as they looped their death throes over and over.

As they looped their death throes over and over.

As they looped-

~~~

_ Someone stop me, there are too many screams.  _

_ I will protect him, never and always. _

~~~

You're here, finally here. Free me, please, free us all. Make this futurepast be not started. 

Kill me.

~~~

I open my eyes in an unfamiliar room, but with the familiar Helminth tendrils caring for me. 

_ Why... _

**Author's Note:**

> Have fun with your new frame!


End file.
